bhode island



SePt- 6, 1932 F. ARMBRusT EXTENSION DEVICE Filed April 1s, 1932 wana? SePf- 6, 1932- F. ARMBRUs'r EXTENSION DEVICE Filed April 13, 19:52

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6i, 12232 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE FERDINAND LBHBBUST, OF NORTH PROVIDILN'GVE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB TO ARHBBUST CHAIN COMPANY. Ol' PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE IBLAN D EXTENSION DEVICE Application illed April 18, 1932. Serial No. 604,902.

My invention relates to foldable extension devices for wrist watch bracelets, bands, straps and the like.

An essential object of my invention is to combine in such a device means for adjusting the length of the same approximately to the dimenslon of any articular wrist, and means for furnishing suicient expansion to su plement any inadequacy of adjustment an permit suiicient elasticity or expansion to comfortably conform to the contour of the wrist.

A further object is to effect both the adjustment and expansion in a compact space.

Additional objects are to provide an effective clamping means for locking the parts in adjusted position; to facilitate theslidable impulsion of the clamping means; and to combine in a single element the clamping means and theimpelling means.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in such novel parts and combinations thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a art of this specification,

igure 1 is a front elevation of a wrist watch bracelet in which my extension device is embodied in folded position,

Figure 2, a section of the same on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3, a similar section of the same showing the parts in partially unfolded position A Figure 4,l a rear elevation of my device with the parts fully distended,

Fi re 5, a 'front elevation of the keeper showing a part of the front wall and adjacent contained parts broken away, and the spring contracted,

Figures 6, 7 and 8, sections on lines 6-6, 7-7 and 8--8 respectively of Figure 2,

Figure 9, a ,fragmentary perspective view of the adjusting plate, its clamplng member, and adjacent portions of the keeper, c

Figure 10, a rear elevation of the keeper showlng parts broken away,

Figure 11, a section taken on line 11-11 of Figure 10,

Fire 12 a detail view of the clamping em m r, an

Figures 13 and 14, a detail view of the extension frame and of the locking plate respectively.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

As herein illustrated my extension device is shown embodied in a wrist watch bracelet wherein the straps 20 and 21 thereof are composed of series of rectangular open links 23 severally connected by tubular links 24.

The extension device comprises a keeper or housing 26 upon one end, an intermediate foldable leaf or section 28, and a foldable backing leaf or section 30 upon the other end.

In detail the keeper includes a longitudi- `65 nally curved front plate or wall 32, rearward- Y ly directed lateral walls 33 upon its top and bottom, and inwardly directed fianges 34 upon the rear edges of the latter, the whole forming lateral guideways 25. The flanges are provided with interspaced transversely disposed pairs of opposed depressions, cavities or slots 36. Integral with its forward end the front wall 32 has hinge sleeves 37, and adj acent thereto a nail projection 38 is formed from they material o f the wall. In the rear ends of the flanges are forwardly directed stop indents 39.

The strap 20 is suitably adjustably secured in the keeper by means adjustably positioned in the slots, and the strap is rendered expansible b means cooperatively associated with the adjustable means.

The expansible means includes an open rectangular extension frame 42 in sliding contact with the front wall of the keeper and movable in the guidewa It comprises side bars 43, and forward an rear end bars 44 and 45 respectively. The bar 44 has intermediate its length a broad inwardly directed projecting portion 46'adapted to enter the end of a flattened helical spring 48, one of whose ends abuts against the bar 44. The bar 45 is em- 4 braced by the adjacent tubular link 24 upon the end of the strap 20.

The adjustable securing means includes a locking plate 5D whose front surface slides upon the frame 42, and whose rear face is overlapped and slidably engaged by the flanges 34. The plate comprises a substan- Yeo tially rectangular portion 51, a forwardly directed flange 53 upon its rear end, and spaced hinge sleeves 54 upon its forward end. The rear corners of the plate are provided with rectangular notches 56.

The flange or lip 53 extends into the open portion of the frame 42 and against this the rear end of the spring 48 abuts. Excessive rearward or outward movement of frame 42 under stress of the strap 20 is prevented by contact of the notched portions 56 of the plate 50 with the stop indents 39. The sleeves 54 are of sufliciently small diameter to enable them to partially enter any selected couplet of flange slots 36 when suitable clamping pressure is applied to the locking plate.

The clamping element for this purpose consists of a cam lever 58 comprising a working arm 59, a power arm 60 disposed at an acute angle to the working arm, and trunnions 61 upon the arm 59 adjacent the arm 60. The trunnions are circularly movable in the sleeves 54, and the length of the work arm is such that when the latter is brought to a posi- 'tion approximately at right angles to the front wall 32, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the sleeves 54 of the locking plate are forced upwardly into snu or locking registration in the flange slots, w ile the arm 60 abuts against the front Wall 32.

By manually elevating the arm 60 the sleeves will be freed and drop out of locked position, as shown in Figures 3 and 9. And in this position, using the lever portion 60 as a handle, the plate 50 with its attached frame 42 may be simultaneously slid in the guideways of thekeeper in either direction.

A pintle 64 in the hinge sleeves 37 of the keeper is loosely embraced by a sleeve 65 upon one end of the foldable section 28, upon whose opposite end are hinge sleeves 67 loosely surrounding a pintle 68. The foldable section 30 has a hinge sleeve 70 surrounding the pintle 68, and, upon its opposite end, a similar sleeve 72 embracing the side bar of the end link of the strap section 21. The section 30 has forwardly directed resilient lateral flanges 74 adapted to enclose section 28 and overlap the sides 33 of the keeper when the parts are in folded position. An internal rounded protuberance 76 in onev of the flanges 74 is adapted to engage the edge of the section 28 whereby the foldable sections are bound together. v

ln using my device the arm 60 of the lever 58 is manually grasped and the connected elements 42 and 50 drawn lengthwise of the keeper in either direction until the bracelet is of sufficient length to fit the wrist, whereupon the lever is swung into clamped position, locking the sleeve portion 54 of the element 5() in the adjacent pair of flange slots. After such locking, the expansion element 42 has slidable movement to automatically extend the length of the bracelet to compensate for Lemme plate 50 with the stop in ents 39 upon the keeper flanges.

It will be observed that both locking ad-l justment and expansion are afforded by this mechanism, and in a compact form, withl facility of operation; and that the arm 60 of the lever 58 serves not only as a clamping arm, but affords, in unlocked position, a means to be manually grasped to positively propel the locking and expanding elements in the guideway.

Without departing from the spirit of my invention other modes of applying the principle thereof may be employed instead of the ones explained, change being made as regards the construction herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means' be employed.

l claim 1. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hin edly connected foldable sections including a eeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeper between the front wall and flanges, an extension member engaging the late, a strap attached to the extension memer, and means for locking the plate in adjusted engagement with the flanges.

2. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hingedly connected foldable sections including a keeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with airs of opposed slots, a locking plate slida ly mounted in the keeper between the side wall and flanges, an extensionmember adjacent the plate, a strap carried by the extension member,- interspaced elevated portions upon the plate, and a clamping lever pivotally supported by the plate and engageable with the front wall for forcing the elevated portions into engagement with any one of the`pairs of' slots.

3. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hinedly connected foldable sections including a eeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with pairs of opposed slots, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeper between the side wall and flanges, an extension member slidabl supported by the plate, a strap carried by the extension member, interspaced elevated portions upon the plate, and a clamping lever pivotally supported by the plate and engageable with the front wall for forcing the. elevated portionsinto engagement with any one of the pairs of slots.

4. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hingedl connected foldable sections including a eeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with pairs of opposed slots, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeper between the side walls and flanges, an extension member yieldingly engaging the plate, a strap carried by the eX- tension member, interspaced sleeves upon the plate, and a cam lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length in the sleeves comprising a working arm engageable with the front wall for forcing the sleeves into any oneof the pairs of slots, and a power arm disposed at an angle to the working arm.

5. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hingedly connected foldable sections including a keeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with pairs of opposed slots, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeper between the side wall and flanges, an extension member slidably mounted in the' keeper between the front wall and the plate, a spring connecting the plate and extension member, sleeves upon the plate adjacent the flanges, and a cam lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length in the sleeves Comprising a working arm engageable with the ront wall for clamping the sleeves into any one of the pairs of slots, and a power arm disposed at an acute angle to the working arm and engageable with the front wall when the working arm is in engagement therewith.

6. In a device of the type specified, a plurality of hingedly connected foldable sections including a keeper comprising a front wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with pairs of opposed slots, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeper between the side wall and flanges, an extension member engaged by the plate, a strap carried by the extension member, interspaced sleeves upon the plate, and a cam lever pivotally mounted intermediate its length in the sleeves comprising a working arm engageable with the front wall for forcing the sleeves into any one of the. pairs of slots, and a power arm disposed at an angle to the working arm.

' 7. In a device of the type specified, a plu rality of hingedly connected foldable sections including a keeper comprising a front signature.

FERDINAND ARMBRUST.

wall, side walls, and inwardly directed flanges upon the side walls provided with pairs of slots, a locking plate slidably mounted in the keeperbetween the front wall and the flanges provided in its rear corners with notched portions, and havin a forwardly directed flange upon its rear e ge, a rectangular open extension member slidably engaging the front wall andthe plate and receivin the flange in the open portion, a. spring in sai open portion engaging'said flange and the 

